VMESS vs VLESS vs Trojan in 2026: Which Clash Protocol Is Fastest?

Choosing the right proxy protocol in Clash can make the difference between a smooth 4K stream and a buffering nightmare. With so many options available in 2026 — VMESS, VLESS, Trojan, Shadowsocks, and variants like VLESS+Reality and Hysteria2 — it can be confusing to know which one to use.

This guide cuts through the confusion with real-world benchmark data and practical recommendations. We'll explain how each protocol works technically, show you actual speed and latency results, and tell you exactly which protocol to use for your specific situation.

Protocol Speed Comparison at a Glance

VMESS: The Original V2Ray Protocol

VMESS (V2Ray Message) was the protocol that launched the modern proxy ecosystem. Developed as part of Project V in 2016, it quickly became the de facto standard for bypassing deep packet inspection in China and other restricted environments.

VLESS: The Lightweight Successor

VLESS is the next-generation evolution of VMESS, introduced in V2Ray 4.27 (late 2020) and now the default recommendation for new deployments. The core philosophy: remove everything that isn't essential.

Trojan: The HTTPS Impersonator

Trojan takes a completely different approach to evasion: instead of wrapping proxy traffic in TLS, Trojan is TLS. It runs on port 443 and presents a valid HTTPS certificate to any connection that doesn't provide the correct password. From the outside, a Trojan server looks identical to a regular HTTPS web server.

Shadowsocks: The Classic That Still Works

No protocol comparison would be complete without Shadowsocks. The original modern proxy protocol, created in 2012, remains widely used thanks to its simplicity and excellent ecosystem support.

The newer Shadowsocks-2022 specification significantly improves on the original — better replay protection, optional multiplexing, and improved performance. However, Shadowsocks traffic can still be identified by DPI systems due to the distinctive initial handshake pattern, making it less suitable for high-censorship environments compared to VLESS+Reality or Trojan.

Which Protocol Should You Choose?

Protocol Support in Clash Clients (2026)

VPN07 supports all five protocols across its entire 70+ country node network. When you import your VPN07 Clash subscription, the config automatically selects the best available protocol for each server. Our 1000Mbps nodes are available in your choice of VMESS, VLESS, VLESS+Reality, Trojan, or Shadowsocks-2022 — just pick the one that suits your needs or let the auto-select proxy group choose for you.

The Emerging Alternatives: Hysteria2 and TUIC

Beyond the four main protocols, two newer options have gained significant traction in 2026 and deserve mention for users seeking next-level performance in challenging network conditions.

Both Hysteria2 and TUIC are supported in Clash Meta (Mihomo) and Clash Verge Rev. However, they require UDP support on the network — some corporate firewalls or strict ISPs may block UDP traffic, making TCP-based protocols like Trojan or VLESS more reliable in those environments.

CPU & Resource Usage Comparison

Beyond raw speed, protocol choice also affects device battery life and CPU usage — especially important on mobile devices and low-powered hardware like routers.

Real-World Scenarios: Which Protocol Wins?

Sample Clash Configuration Snippets

Here are minimal example configurations for each protocol type in Clash YAML format. VPN07's subscription includes pre-built configurations — you don't need to write these manually, but understanding them helps with troubleshooting.

proxies:
  - name: "VPN07-JP-VLESS-Reality"
    type: vless
    server: jp.vpn07.com
    port: 443
    uuid: your-uuid-here
    network: tcp
    tls: true
    flow: xtls-rprx-vision
    reality-opts:
      public-key: your-public-key
      short-id: abc12345

proxies:
  - name: "VPN07-SG-Trojan"
    type: trojan
    server: sg.vpn07.com
    port: 443
    password: your-password-here
    sni: sg.vpn07.com
    skip-cert-verify: false

When you subscribe to VPN07 and import the Clash config, all nodes are pre-configured with the correct settings for each protocol — including UUID, passwords, SNI values, and Reality keys. You simply import the subscription URL and start using the fastest available protocol immediately.